Luggage seam reinforced by a u-shaped plastic strip having a tall-shaped cross-section



Nov. 15, 1949 STEIN 2,437,951

LUGGAGE SEAM REINFORCED BY A U-SHAPED PLASTIC STRIP HAVING A T-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION Filed Sept. 3, 1948 I, fnz/E'nfar L e0 Stein Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNI-TED STAT as PAT or Fl CE" LUGGAGE SEAM REINFORCED BY A UrSHAPED.PLASTIC LSTRIP HAVING A 'T'JSHAPED CROSS-SECTION Leo iSte'in, Chicago; 111.

Applicationiseptember 3, 1948, Serial "No. 47,719"

1 Claire.

This inventionrelates to lu gage reinforcement and more particularly to reinforcing edging for a'case.

'It' is well known that in the h'andling of luggage the edging of the same takes a great dealof beating and as a result the wearand tear of theisame is much greater than the other portions of the case. .In addition the strains placed on the edges of the case occasion weakening of the seams so that unless they are protected they are apt to break open. 7

An object, therefore,'of1 this inventionis toprovide'animproved reinforced edging for cases such as luggage and. the like.

Another object of thisiinventionis to provide a predetermined frame like edging adaptedtobe readily "incorporated inthe seam of "a. case or piece of luggage by stitching.

A still furtheruobject of this' i-nvention is to provide a synthetic resilient-preshaped edging for a luggage case which can be bodily, incorporated in the seamed edge of the case during the assembly of-the walls of thercase together.

In accordance with the general features io-f this invention there is provided a protecting rail or strip of generally T-shape cross-section for disposition around joined margins of the walls of the case at a seam, the strip being made of synthetic thermoplastic material having its head portion beyond the seam and its stem flange portion embodied in the seam.

Another feature of the invention relates to the making of the reinforcing strip or rail in the form of a generally U-shaped frame with an inwardly projecting flange for fastening between adjoining edge portions of the case and embodiment in the ensuing seam.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which indicates an embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a luggage case to which my novel reinforcing edge has been applied;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of one of the corners of the edge with the outer wall of the case broken away to show the manner in which the stem flange of the reinforcing edging is embodied in the seam;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line III-III of Figure 2 looking downwardly;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a corner it is -clear that my invention can be applied equally well to othershapes and formsaofgzcases:

This case embodies two walls I :I-.! I whichcan be made of leather, synthetic :leather, plastic, re inforcing cardboard and in fact any other typerof sheeting such as is common-1y used-in cases. As-is well known, the walls ll areiconnected together by a connecting rod :01 so-called bellows gusset designated generally by .the reference character, l2. The adjoining marginal portions of each wall H and the gusset wall t2 are joined-.together-by conventional seamfastening means-at I 3.

In accordance with the features of thisrinvren tion' it is the aim toiembodyin. this iseamca .portion of my novel reinforcing edging or strip designated generally by the reference character it,

The strip l5, which is a very important part of my invention, is of a generally T-shaped cross-sectional shape and has the cross leg or head of the T, designated I6, exposed in reinforcing relation over the edges of the seamed marginal edge portions of the walls. The other leg or stem 11 of the strip and which corresponds to the vertical leg of a letter T is positioned in the seam l3 by being fastened in place between the adjoining parallel marginal portions of the two walls II and [2 by stitching l8 and I9, as shown in Figure 3.

The leg or flange i! should be made sufliciently thin and of substantially uniform cross section throughout the length of the strip so that a stitching needle can readily penetrate the seam. Of course it is clear that this flange I! could be pre-perforated but obviously it would be more economical to effect the perforating of the seam as shown in Figure 2 at the same time that the stitching is effected.

In order for my reinforcing edging or rail IE to better withstand the wear and tear of the case and to protect the seam l3, I find it desirable to make this rail of a material which will give resiliently when the edge is subjected to forces normal to a plane containing the strip and yet will provide rigidity, particularly at corner portions of the U-shaped strip, when the portion of my reinforcing T-shaped strip prior 5 strip is subjected to blows or forces acting along lines parallel to said plane containing said U- shaped strip. It is desirable that the reinforcing and rigidifying strip hold its shape and not scuff when it is subject to impact blows.

I have obtained excellent results by making this edging of form sustaining synthetic plastic material which may be of any suitable type such, for example, as vinyl resins, ethyl cellulose and the like. Plastic seems to be ideally suited in view of its lightness and resilient bending qualities.

The T-shaped reinforcing edge strip I may be obtained in molded strip form as in Figure 4 and cut to a length suitable to go clear around a wall II from one side of the top to the other, as shown in Figure 1. In other words, the piece of cut strip should be bent into a generally U- shape before application to the case.

In order to readily effect bending and shaping of the strip in this U form, thecorners may be relieved, as at 2! by notching, recessing or aperturing the same so as to get rid of excess material at the inner edge of the rail when it is bent from the form shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5. After the bending operation, the material where it is notched or recessed at 2| can be heated to seal and fuse the material together, thereby rendering continuous the flange or stem [1 even in the U-shaped form while maintaining the substantially uniform cross-section thereof desirable for facilitating stitching.

Upon the forming of this T or strip into the U- shaped form described above, it is then placed around a wall H and its leg or stem flange i1 is inserted between the margin of the wall II and the parallel margin of the gusset wall [2 after which it can be interlocked to these walls by the seam described above.

It is to be understood that in the event it is desired that the rail or edging strip go clear around a side of a case or piece of luggage, it would be in the form of a closed angular ring embodyin the basic U-shape.

Also, the rail could be extruded, although it is contemplated, when the desired production is of suflicient quantity to warrant the expense, that it could be molded in the U or closed angular ring shape desired which would eliminate the operations shown in Figures 4 and 5.

I claim as my invention:

In an article of luggage having two walls, said walls having parallel marginal portions connected by a seam, a generally U-shaped reinforcing edge strip of form-sustaining thermoplastic material for disposition around said walls at said seam, said edge strip being of generally T-shape cross-section with the head portion of the T extending transversely in reinforcing relation over edges of the adjacent parallel marginal portions of the walls at said seam and with the stem'of the T positioned between said parallel marginal portions, stitches securing said stem to said parallel marginal portions, said head portion and stem being integral and having a substantially uniform cross-section throughout the length of the strip whereby said stem can be secured by a continuous row of stitches, and said T-shaped cross-section providing resiliency in said U-shaped strip when said strip is subjected to forces normal to a plane containing said U-shaped strip, and providing rigidity, particularly at round corner portions of the U- shaped strip, when said strip is subjected to blows or forces acting along lines parallel to said plane containing said U-shaped strip.

' LEO STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Freeman May 31, 1949 

